Distant Hope: The 124th Hunger Games
by Kelly2013andConnor
Summary: District 7 Kara volunteers for a young girl for the 124th Hunger Games. She knows she will die, especially because of the other tributes. But will she? SYOT; through PM. Written by Kelly.


**So...I'm probably taking down my other story, A Flame Willed Heart. It wasn't really a good story anyway. **

**And I'm writing for the Hunger Games now, so...um, yeah. But I'm writing my sort of style, not the way I did for my Sailor Moon story. **

**Just a heads up, this chapter will probably go a little bit fast. Sorry :(**

**Although I'm the writer for this story, thank you to Connor for giving me ideas :)**

**-Kelly2013**

* * *

The morning wind was pretty cold that day, coming through the cracks in the windows, and I stretched out, trying to sleep. I had to sleep.

On the other side of the bed, I could see my brother, Solan. He was curled up, his face fresh and sweet. I smiled and touched the side of his face gently, trying not to wake him.

Our Reaping wasn't until eleven. It was eight, and even though people are usually up by then, many tried to sleep in, although it was almost impossible too. The parents worry about their children. The kids between the ages of twelve and eighteen will worry about their name being drawn. Everyone worries.

Luckily, my brother wasn't old enough to enter the Games, being eleven. I was thirteen, so this was my second Reaping. And hopefully not my last.

I laid there for another half hour, then got up and put on my Reaping clothes. A white shirt tucked into my brown skirt. I washed my face and left the room.

Being in District Seven, we weren't poor, but not rich. More on the poor side, but still not poor. If that makes any sense.

My parents were already up, getting breakfast ready, which was just some of our bread. We ate bread almost everyday. I was sick of it.

We ate in silence, other than the occasional _Good Morning_ at the beginning of the meal. When the clock hit nine, I went to wake Solan.

When he saw me in my Reaping clothes, he asked, "You aren't going to get drawn today, right? Right, Kara?"

His sweet face looked at me. I took his hand and said, "I promise. Okay?" I kissed his forehead. "Get changed. I got some bread for you at the table." I squeezed his hand and felt some crumbs still on my face. Instead of just brushing them off, I headed to the bathroom again.

I caught myself in the mirror on the way. I was pale, dark-haired, green-eyed, and so skinny you easily can count my ribs. No matter how much I ate, I just never seemed to gain weight.

After Solan finished eating, we went to the square. Reaping Time.

* * *

After I signed in, I headed over to the thirteen-year-old boys and girls and found my friend Arianna nervously pulling at one of the stray hairs on her face. I headed over to her and touched her. "Hi."

She jumped. "Oh! Kara! You scared me to death!"

"Sorry," I said. "Reaping day nerves?"

She nodded. "Who here doesn't have them? I mean, really." Arianna glanced around. "Everyone's just hoping they don't get picked, as usual." She went back to fiddling with her hair strands and lapsed into an awkward silence.

She was right. I could see a lot of the kids standing around with tense muscles and tight faces. I think I was one of those kids myself.

I saw Solan standing with my parents around the other families. I shuddered to think that his name would go into the boy's Reaping balls with all the others.

Speaking of the Reaping balls, I swung my gaze to the two glass balls on the stage. In one of them, there was my name. And I hoped to death that it wasn't me. It couldn't be me.

My thoughts were interrupted by Estella, the scary woman from the Capitol who's District Seven's escort. She straightened herself up and grinned, which looked wrong on her golden lips, which seemed to match her orange-ish skin and gold suit and hair. And her makeup. And her nails. And I think you get the point.

"Welcome, welcome, District Seven!" She said in an upbeat tone, which was a bit ironic. "As you know, today we will pick one young woman and man to fight in the annual Hunger Games!" She beamed. "And may the odds be ever in you favor." She walked over to one of the glass balls. "Of course, ladies first."

Estella put her hand in the glass ball, grazing tips of the little slips of paper. She finally took one and walked back to the center of the stage. I gripped Arianna's hand. _It can't be me. It can't be me. _Maybe if I repeated it enough times, it wouldn't be me.

Estella unfolded the piece of paper and read out loud the piece of paper.

"Lily Kassmren."

It wasn't me. It wasn't me. But then I realized as Lily walked up to the stage, a surge of pain went through me.

I know Lily from school. She just turned twelve a week ago. She's one of the sweetest little girls I know, cheerful, kind, bouncy, and friendly. She has a bright face with her dark skin and hair. And now she was heading to her quite certain death. You can see it in her brown eyes.

Without thinking, I dropped Arianna's hand and pushed my way through the crowd. The Peacekeepers leading her up to the stage turn around at the commotion.

"I volunteer!" I gasped when I made my way to the center. "I volunteer!"

The crowd shifted and I heard murmuring. Then the Peacekeepers let Lily back into the crowd and surrounded me. I could hear Lily raise her voice behind me.

"No! No! Don't do this for me!" Someone-I think her mother-came out of the crowd and pulled Lily away while she continued to wail.

I walked up on the stage, and Estella smiled. "Well, we have a volunteer! What's your name?" She held the microphone under my chin. But all I could think of was my promise to Solan that morning.

"Kara Layman."

"Well, Kara! We haven't had a volunteer in a long time!" She grinned even wider, which was not exactly helping my thoughts that were swirling around in my shocked head. "And for the young men!"

She crossed to the other side and read a piece of paper out loud in a clear voice. "Jet..."

I didn't hear the rest of what she said. I turned my head toward the boys and saw a huge stocky dark-haired boy make his way to the front of the stage. My heart sunk. He could snap my neck with a twist of his huge arm.

I hear Estella talk more for a bit, then the mayor stepped forward to read the boring and long Treaty of Treason, since it's required. I effectively tuned him out and found Solan in the crowd. His eyes were big and wide and trembling. All I could think of was my promise to him.

Estella steps back up after the mayor's finished and said, "Shake hands, you two."

And as we did, she said, "Thank you for your honor and courage for the one-hundred twenty-fourth Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor."

With that they led us off the stage and into the Justice Building, where I would say good-bye to my family and friends for the last time.

* * *

The Peacekeepers led me through the old but still beautiful Justice Building. I was led to a small room and sat down on a red-cushioned chair. The door was shut and I knew my family was coming.

Sure enough, the door opened and Solan ran straight into my arms. I held him tightly, rocking him back and forth while my mother and father talked to me in gentle but sad voices.

Solan looked up. "You'll win, right?"

I bit my lip, but nodded. "Of course I'll win. Just for you." I poked his nose and gently pushed him off me and hugged my mother and father. Then a Peacekeeper came in and took them away, and I'm doing is screaming out the door, "I love you! I love you!" Then the door was slammed in my face.

I sat down and buried my face in my hands. Then the door burst open again and Lily ran in and hugged me.

"Lily!" I said, surprised. "Are you okay?" She nodded.

"Thank you so much, Kara," she said. "My mother thanks you too. And I want to have this."

She pulled off a necklace. It was on a black leather cord, with a small green leaf gem on it. "Will you wear this as your token? Please?"

I slipped over my head. "It's beautiful. Thank you, Lily."

Another Peacekeeper came into the room to lead Lily out. She waves before the door, again, shuts in my face.

* * *

**Read, review, and criticism is welcome! Sorry about the shortness, next chapter will get longer, I assure you. Here's the form, in case it wasn't on my profile.**

**-Kelly**


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